GENEX

Anodizing aluminum and titanium explained and demonstrated in less than five minutes (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:24:00 +0000

Many of us use gadgets that sport gleamingly refined, anodized aluminum or titanium cases -- but have you ever wondered exactly how the process works? Bill Hammack, at it again after explaining to us how the CCD, LCDs, and hard drives work, breaks it down (pun intended) for us -- in less than five minutes. He talks about, and even shows us how the surface of titanium is meticulously rusted using electro-chemicals to grow an oxide layer, changing the color based on its thickness. He follows that up with some commentary on how a similar reaction gobbles up and transforms aluminum, creating a much thicker, porous oxide layer that can be filled with any color dye. So, just to be clear: controlled corrosion is good for your Mac, border control -- maybe not so much. You can watch the video right after the break.

Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Today is May 31, 2012, the day Intel finally revealed specifics on its dual-core Ivy Bridge processors. That means the month of June is going to be teeming with new laptops, many of them packing Intel's latest chips. Lenovo's 12-inch ThinkPad X230 will be one of them when it goes on sale June 5th, and it happens to be the first machine we've tested with one of Intel's dual-core-flavored CPUs. But make no mistake: the X230 brings more than just a speed bump. With this generation, Lenovo overhauled its signature keyboard, opting instead for an island-style layout with wider-spaced keys. Rounding out the list is a 300-nit IPS display, a battery rated for nine hours of runtime and, of course, that brand-new Core i5-3320M CPU. So how much better is the performance? Is it a good deal for $1,249? And what to make of that revamped keyboard? Find the answers to all those questions after the break.

Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review

Look and feel

If you think the ThinkPad design is dated, stale or uninteresting, you're reading the wrong laptop review.

If you think the ThinkPad design is dated, stale or uninteresting, you're reading the wrong laptop review. The X230 is intended just as much for IBM loyalists as first-time buyers, and to its credit, Lenovo knows well what its customers like. With the lid shut, the X230 looks a lot like last year's X220, which in turn resembles years' worth of ThinkPads that came before it. That is to say, it has a boxy shape with sharp corners and a black, soft-touch lid. Where other PC makers are pushing a spartan sort of look, Lenovo is still studding its laptops with physical mute, volume and mic controls, as well as a hotkey for launching the bundled ThinkVantage suite. And, like the X220 that came before it, the X230 has a latch-less lid, with a little overbite that fits securely over the front lip. All told, these touches add up to a design that's not sexy, per se, but timeless.

While the X230 follows the same design principles as its predecessor, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that it's both thinner and lighter: 2.96 pounds and 0.75 to 1.05 inches thick. In comparison, the X220 weighs 3.6 pounds and measures 1.25 inches thick.

As we continue our tour around the laptop, you'll see that although the chassis is thinner, Lenovo still managed to squeeze in a few new ports. The left edge is home to two USB 3.0 sockets (they were all 2.0 last year), along with a mini-DisplayPort (also new), VGA, a 54mm Express Card slot and a wireless radio switch. Meanwhile, the right side houses a Kensington lock slot, 4-in-1 memory card reader, a powered USB 2.0 port, headphone jack and Ethernet connection. There's also a Smart Card reader. Inside, Lenovo's "Airbag Protection" technology guards the drive in the event of drops. Where's the AC port, you ask? It's tucked onto the back edge, potentially allowing for some more discrete cable management. Lastly, there's still a fingerprint reader sitting to the right of the touchpad.

Keyboard and trackpad

We can't promise that ThinkPad fans set in their ways will take kindly to this new keyboard.

Although the X230 looks like the X220 at first blush, you only need to lift the lid to realize this upgrade is more than just a processor refresh. With this generation, Lenovo's added some subtle backlighting, and moved from a classic, seven-row keyboard layout to a six-row, island-style arrangement. Interestingly, this is just the second ThinkPad after last year's X1 to get the chiclet treatment. Of course, the company's been experimenting with similar keyboards on its Edge lineup for years, though we're told the keys here are slightly different from even those models.

Specifically, the keys each have 30 percent more surface area on top than the old-school keys on the X220, and the spacing is five times greater. In any case, the keys have a so-called Smile shape, with a curved lower edge and slightly indented surface for cradling the fingertips. Additionally, the page up / down buttons are slightly bigger, and are now clustered with the arrow keys, instead of the area above the Backspace button, where they used to sit stacked on top of one another. To turn the backlighting on and off, there's now a control built into the left end of the space bar, which only works if you also hold down the Fn button. Last but not least, Lenovo claims to have improved both the tactile and sound feedback.

Truth be told, we never had a problem with the sound or forcefulness of previous ThinkPad keyboards, but this one is certainly as sturdy as promised. The entire panel stays infallibly rigid, even under the weight of furious typing. And if you're the kind of person who equates keyboard noise with productivity (or who simply gets nostalgic for tactile things), we think you'll find the low-pitched clack quite reassuring. Even so, we can't promise that ThinkPad fans set in their ways will take kindly to this new keyboard. If you review laptops for a living, like yours truly, you might appreciate the tactility of these keys, especially compared to the flat, flimsy keyboards you'll find on most other ultraportables on the market. But when we handed the X230 to Tim Stevens (a ThinkPad fanboy in his own right), he deemed the keys stiff and too widely spaced compared to his trusty T400s. This is the rare case where a "new and improved" keyboard could be a pro or a con, depending on your tastes.

As you'd expect -- this being a ThinkPad and all -- you've got a variety of different navigation options at your fingertips, including a touchpad with buttons, as well as that signature red pointing stick. So far as we can tell, Lenovo hasn't strayed from its tried-and-true pointer, which is to say it has a flat top, wide enough to accommodate most digits. As ever, the rubbery material and series of raised dots make it unlikely that your finger will unexpectedly slide off. To be sure, there's a bit of a learning curve for ThinkPad converts, but once you find your bearings you'll enjoy some exceptionally controlled cursor navigation -- arguably even more precise than what you'll experience if you use the touchpad.

In case you're more of a touchpad person, the main obstacle you'll encounter here are the small dimensions. There's not nearly enough room to comfortably pinch to zoom, though the pad is certainly capable of this. Two-finger scrolls aren't flawless, but they're still smoother than what most other Windows PCs have to offer. Otherwise, the pad works as promised, and without fuss: it responds well to simple one-finger taps, and cursor movement is generally fluid.

Display and sound

The IPS panel bodes well for "Up in the Air" types who plan on working through long flights, and need to stay productive even when the guy in front of them leans back in his seat.

Here's something Lenovo had no reason to change. The 12.5-inch, 300-nit display that we loved so much on the X220 is back -- albeit, with the same ho-hum 1366 x 768 resolution. And it's not just that it's a matte panel, though that'll certainly help fight glare from harsh overhead lights in the office; the IPS panel also ensures that colors don't wash out as you adjust the screen angle. Even when we dipped the screen forward or pushed it back, we were able to continue reading websites and other pages densely packed with text. It even lies flat, though we're not sure why you'd want to work that way (this isn't the touch-enabled X230T, after all). In any case, this all bodes well for "Up in the Air" types who plan on working through long flights, and need to stay productive even when the guy in front of them leans back in his seat. If we have one complaint it's that the LCD matrix is very prominent, and is difficult to un-see once you notice it.

The X230 also includes Intel's Wireless Display technology (WiDi), which allows you to mirror your desktop on a TV or external monitor, no cables required. Normally, when we explain this feature in laptop reviews, we tend to talk up the potential for streaming 1080p video from your PC to the big screen. In the case of the X230, though, it's worth reminding road warriors you can just as easily use the technology to send your PowerPoint presentation to a display where it's easier for everyone to have a look. Whatever your preferred use case, you'll need to buy a separate set-top box like this, which connects to your TV / monitor via HDMI. We'll refer you to this review for a deeper dive on WiDi 2.0, but, suffice to say, we've been consistently impressed by both the ease of setup and the unbroken streaming quality.

With this generation, Lenovo switched to Dolby Advanced Audio and added some new face-tracking technology for video chats. Though the speakers deliver some typically constrained, tinny sound, the audio is surprisingly loud, at least, which should come in handy for your conference calls.

Performance

	PCMark Vantage	3DMark06
Lenovo ThinkPad X230 (2.6GHz Core i5-3320M, Intel HD Graphics 4000)	8,234	4,891
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 (2.5GHz Core i5-2520M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	7,635	3,517
ASUS Zenbook UX21A (Unspecified Ivy Bridge processor with integrated graphics; some specs embargoed until ASUS formally launches its Zenbook Prime series in the US and other markets.)	10,333	4,550
Dell XPS 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	N/A	4,130
HP Folio 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	6,701	3,387
Toshiba Portege Z835 (1.4GHz Core i3-2367M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	5,894	3,601
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s (1.8GHz Core i7-2677M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	9,939	3,651
ASUS Zenbook UX31 (1.7GHz Core i5-2557M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	10,508	4,209
Acer Aspire S3 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	5,367	3,221
13-inch, 2011 MacBook Air (1.7GHz Core i5-2557M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	9,484	4,223
2011 Samsung Series 9 (1.7GHz Core i5-2537M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	7,582	2,240
Note: the higher the score the better.

For the purposes of this review, we tested a $1,249 configuration with a 2.6GHz Core i5-3320M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB 5,400RPM hard drive. As you can see in the comparison table above, the X230 offers a nice boost over the X220 in both graphics and all-around performance. Of course, without an SSD it doesn't quite match the performance you'll get from some top-of-the-line Ultrabooks, but it easily bests machines with last-generation Core i5 processors and either traditional or hybrid hard drives. In the disk benchmark ATTO, it performed respectably with peak read and write speeds of 96MB/s. We also timed a 37-second start-up, which is a bit faster than most Windows 7 laptops (those that aren't Ultrabooks, anyway). It does rival Ultras in this regard, at least: it resumes from sleep in less than two seconds. We also noticed the machine stayed relatively cool and quiet throughout -- two things Lenovo says it tried to improve when designing the X230.

Battery life

Laptop	Battery Life
Lenovo ThinkPad X230	6:15
15-inch Samsung Series 9 (2012)	7:29
Lenovo ThinkPad X220	7:19
HP Folio 13	6:08
Toshiba Portege Z835	5:49
ASUS Zenbook UX31	5:41
13-inch, 2011 MacBook Air	5:32 (Mac OS X) / 4:12 (Windows)
HP Envy 14 Spectre	5:30
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s	5:08
14-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook	5:06
Dell XPS 13	4:58
Samsung Series 9 (2011)	4:20
ASUS Zenbook UX21A	4:19
Acer Aspire S3	4:11

Lenovo rates the X230's six-cell battery for up to nine hours of battery life using the benchmark MobileMark, which is more productivity-focused than the test we use. In our test, we managed six hours and 15 minutes, and that's under rather taxing conditions: WiFi on, brightness fixed at 65 percent and a movie looping continuously off the hard drive. That's certainly a better showing than what we've seen from most other ultraportables we've tested recently -- namely, Ultrabooks. And it's an especially impressive performance for a machine with such a small screen; the new 11-inch ASUS Zenbook UX21A, for instance, lasted little more than four hours in the same test.

Interestingly, Lenovo says that under the same testing conditions we use, its internal testing team got similar battery life scores for both the X230 and the X220, with the X230 lasting roughly six and a half hours. That dovetails nicely with our own test results for the X230, though when a different Engadget staffer tested the X220 last year, it held out an hour longer. What's curious is that even Lenovo's own engineers couldn't replicate that result -- at least not with a test that involved looping video. So while our performance table tells one story, Lenovo's own product managers claim the battery capacity is actually comparable. We're inclined to believe that claim, since early Ivy Bridge benchmarks already suggested there's not a material difference in battery savings between the current- and last-generation chips.

Like its predecessor, the X230 will be offered with an optional slice battery -- in this case, a six-cell (57 Wh) number for $149. That promises up to 24.9 hours of runtime, but that's assuming your main battery is the beefier nine-cell option.

Software

The last-gen X220 came loaded with a pristine desktop, and we're happy to say Lenovo is continuing its goodwill this year: you'll find barely any shortcuts littering the screen when you boot up the X230 for the first time. Dig into the menus, though, and you'll find a handful of innocuous third-party apps installed. These include Google Chrome, SugarSync Manager and Evernote. Even the 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security mostly stayed out of our way.

If anything, most of the pre-installed apps are part of Lenovo's own suite of ThinkVantage utilities, designed to make the upkeep easy even for businesses that don't have a dedicated IT department. Among them, you'll find a backup and restore app, a setup wizard for the fingerprint reader, password vault, power controls, diagnostic software and a system update hub. Though most of these come pre-loaded and ready to go, you'll have to manually install the following three: Rescue and Recover, Password Vault and Access Connections. Lastly, Lenovo also pinned a shortcut for its App Store to the Taskbar, though we didn't spend much time there, as the store runs slowly, and at full-screen.

Like other ThinkPads, the X230 comes with Lenovo Simple Tap software, a launcher that gives you quick access to microphone controls and other settings in the form of large icons. Once you've launched Simple Tap, it runs at full-screen, almost like a dumbed-down mini-OS-within-an-OS. Though it's at its best on touch-enabled machines where you can actually tap the shortcuts, it's perfectly easy to click on them instead, and use the cursor to rearrange the tiles.

Configuration options

The X230 starts at $1,249, the same estimated price of the configuration we tested. Depending on your region, you'll be able to find the X230 offered with up to five processors in addition to the 2.6GHz Core i5 CPU we tested. These include one Core i3 option (a 2.4GHz 2370M), two i5s (2.5GHz 3210M and 2.8GHz 3360M) and two i7s (a 2GHz 3667U and a 2.9GHz 3520M). As any silicon buff would tell you, this means everything but the Core i3 CPU are part of the Ivy Bridge family. (We know the i3 option is Sandy Bridge because its model number begins with a "2" instead of a "3.")

Once you've got the processor squared away, you can load your machine with up to 16GB of RAM and choose between a 200-nit screen and the 300-nit one we tested. As for storage, you have a few traditional spinning hard drives at your disposal, running the gamut from a 5,400RPM HDD with 320GB or 500GB of storage, to a faster 7,200RPM drive with anywhere from 250GB to 500GB of space. You can also buy a solid-state drive with 32GB, 128GB, 180GB or 256GB of space.

As we mentioned, we tested a six-cell, 63 Wh battery, rated for 9.9 hours, but you can also opt for a 29 Wh four-cell (up to 8.9 hours) or a 94 Wh nine-cell, which promises to last up to 14.8 hours on a charge. Finally, if you're interested in built-in 3G / 4G, you can upgrade to a Gobi Verizon Wireless LTE / HSPA radio, a Gobi HSPA option capable of 14.4 Mbps or an Ericsson-made HSPA+ minicard.

The competition

If you're a ThinkPad loyalist set in your ways, we suggest getting hands-on in person first, if possible.

Thanks to Ultrabooks, the ultraportable market is a lot more crowded than it was a year ago, but, luckily for all of you who freeze under the pressure of having too many choices, most of these models are consumer-grade. If a more business-friendly feature set is a must, there's the HP Folio 13 (an Engadget favorite) and the Dell XPS 13. Both of these offer TPM and a generous selection of ports, but lack the kind of self-service troubleshooting software you'll find on ThinkPad machines. The HP EliteBook Folio also looks promising, but it won't ship until October, and we're guessing you can't wait that long for a new laptop.

Even more than these Ultrabooks -- which walk a blurred line between consumer- and business-grade -- the X230's most direct competitor might be something like the EliteBook 2570p, which goes on sale June 22nd starting at $1,099. Since it's not available yet, we don't have a full picture of what specs will be offered, but we do know it'll weigh a slightly heavier 3.6 pounds. Like the X230, you'll be able to fit it with a built-in LTE radio, but it differentiates itself with an optical drive, which the X230 is missing.

If you can hold off on pulling the trigger for a few more weeks, we'd also wait and see if Dell has anything fresh up its sleeve: 'tis the season for laptop refreshes, after all, and we wouldn't be surprised if the company unveiled some new products in the near future.

If you're on a budget, there's always the 3.2-pound Toshiba Portege R830, which starts at $650. The catch? It's getting long in the tooth, which is to say it's running all Sandy Bridge processors. At the entry level you get a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB 5,400RPM drive and goes up to a Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD -- a combination that'll cost you $1,649. As always, Toshiba is offering configurable models for a higher price: $949 and up.

Wrap-up

More Info

Depending on who you ask -- a ThinkPad diehard or a notebook agnostic -- the X230 either has little wrong with it, or it has one inexcusable flaw. Starting with the good, it's fast, thanks to its spanking-new Ivy Bridge processor. It's thinner than its predecessor, but still lasts six-plus hours on a charge. And that bright IPS display translates to impressively versatile viewing angles. The problem? Lenovo, a company known for its ergonomic know-how, decided to overhaul its signature keyboard, and replace it with a new-fangled island-style arrangement. Coming from us, a site that's had the chance to review most every ultraportable that's hit the market, we can assure you these are some of the sturdiest, most tactile keys you'll find on a laptop this size.

Still, something tells us this could be a dealbreaker (or at least a sour grape) for grumpy ThinkPad fans who liked the old keyboard the way it was. If you're thinking of switching to Lenovo from some other brand, we have a feeling you'll enjoy the X230, and won't have as much of a learning curve when it comes to typing. But if you're a ThinkPad loyalist set in your ways, we suggest getting hands-on in person first, if at all possible. Some of you might walk away, others might begrudgingly give it a whirl. And some of you, perhaps, might even come around.

Google refines 'Local' search with Zagat

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:11:00 +0000

Google acquired Zagat review service last year for $151 million. Reportedly, the search giant has now put an end to the $25 subscription fee that came with Zagat to give it away free of charge in the local listings of Google+, and refine its local search. It has about 35,000 restaurants in more than 100 cities across the globe. Those who were wondering how Google will possibly integrate its customer-generated restraint guides and online reviews, can now head to Google+ where all these reviews will be under its new Local section.

Yet another attempt at enhancing its social network...

The online subscription fees helped sustain the sale of Zagat's guidebooks which have been selling since 1979. Zagat was made available to users via its website, which came with a small fee. Google+ has been around for quite some time now, but hasn’t been able to make an impact as huge as its social competitor Facebook. Google’s previous attempt at social networking, the Buzz, also lost its fizz soon enough.

Google+ Local made its world debut on Wednesday, and will utilize user reviews to refine search. It is said to adopt Zagat’s ‘poor-to-perfect’ and 0-to-30 rating scale and also maintain the burgundy color for some web pages. Zagat ratings are not limited to just restaurants, but extend to shopping, night life, hotels, resorts, spas and golf courses across the world. Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president for local search and maps said that 20 percent of all searches in Google are for nearby information and 40 percent for those using mobile phones. "Getting local search right is important, and to do that you need great reviews," she added. Now Google has taken off the subscription fee to access Zagat, if users access it via Google+ Local. It comes across as yet another way to attract users to Google’s social site, however, the question is whether it is successful to allure social networkers. All those who sign up for Google Plus Local can also write their own reviews.

Disney Channel to launch 'TV everywhere' service

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:10:00 +0000

Walt Disney Co. plans as early as next week to launch a mobile application to let Comcast Corp cable TV subscribers watch the Disney Channel on the go, Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger told investors on Wednesday.

Comcast customers will be the first to make use of the app, which would be similar to Disney's WatchESPN service, which allows cable subscribers receive ESPN programs on mobile devices, Iger told a conference sponsored by securities firm Sanford C. Bernstein.

Making newer ways to reach you..

The service would be limited at the outset to subscribers of Comcast, who would be "authenticated" to use the mobile service through their TV subscriptions.

The cable industry calls mobile services "TV Everywhere," and uses the concept to keep subscribers from dropping their service to get TV programming online or through other outlets. Disney is launching first on Comcast, Iger said, because the cable giant secured expanded TV rights as part of an agreement in January to renew a 10-year contract for Comcast to carry the Disney Channel, ESPN and other channels provided by the media company.

WatchESPN was first offered by Time Warner Cable Inc, Iger said. In early May, Comcast began offering the sports service for mobile and online use to most of its 22 million TV subscribers, which doubled to about 40 million the numbers of people with the capability to receive it.

Iger said Disney also intended to offer apps for some of its other TV properties, including its ABC network and ABC Family cable channel, but did not say when those would be available.

Reuters

RIM continues to run out of options

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:09:00 +0000

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd may be running out of options as it struggles to turn around its slumping fortunes with the help of a coterie of investment bankers. The bankers - including leading M&A specialists from Royal Bank of Canada and J.P. Morgan - will explore options as drastic as an outright sale, one of the alternatives that RIM seems determined to avoid. But analysts and investors doubt that anyone is ready to buy the whole company at this time, despite a price that looks tantalizingly cheap on paper. Interest in RIM looks slim to nil, two sources close to the matter said. RIM's market capitalization is now $5.5 billion, down from $84 billion at the company's peak in 2008. It has $2 billion in cash, no debt and patents that experts say could be worth $2.5 billion. "You are not going to sell RIM whole," said Charter Equity analyst Edward Snyder, who has covered RIM since its Nasdaq initial public offering in 1999. "The biggest problem RIM faces is that it's a very illiquid market in suitors for its phone business." "There's very few companies that could exploit RIM's (hardware) assets to make a go of it. Those who can are already beating the pants off RIM."

There's no stopping the decline

RIM virtually invented on-your-hip email with its first BlackBerry device in 1999 and enjoyed almost a decade as a market darling, with quarter after quarter of soaring sales. But it has hemorrhaged market share in the last few years, fading almost to irrelevance in a market dominated by Apple Inc's iPhone and devices from the likes of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd using Google Inc's Android software. RIM shares sank to a eight-year low of just over $10 on Wednesday after the company said the day before that it expected to report an operating loss this quarter, its first in seven years. The company also said "significant" job cuts were on the way. Two sources told Reuters last week that up to 6,000 of RIM's 16,500 jobs could go by early next year.

LBO would face obstacles

Breaking up the company for a piecemeal sale is also a possibility, but an unlikely one given the complexity of such an action and management's reluctance to contemplate such a move. A leveraged buyout may be a more likely outcome, although it also faces a number of obstacles. Private equity firms have circled RIM over the past two years and have tried without success to figure out ways to buy the company. Another option is to shut down the device business, admitting that the BlackBerry cannot compete with Apple and Android, to focus on RIM's secure network operations and its patented technology. But the sources said closing the device business would be a costly endeavor. "The device business is too volatile," one of the sources said.

RIM management, backed by the board, is fixed on a path to recovery that keeps its services business exclusive to BlackBerry, pinning its hopes on next-generation BlackBerry 10 phones it says will come later this year. That's an apparent turnaround from the policy put forward by former co-CEO Jim Balsillie, who sought to offer RIM's secure data-crunching network to others for a fee. Balsillie left the company earlier this year after his plan to radically shift RIM's strategy was rejected, sources with knowledge of his plan told Reuters last month.

RIM'S largest customer

RIM's security-focused network remains one of its biggest assets. It reaches behind corporate firewalls and taps into mobile networks globally to provide a framework that is unique among handset makers. The Pentagon, for example, is RIM's largest single customer, with an estimated quarter-million of its 78 million subscribers. "There is in my view still time to restructure around the services business as a going concern or sale, but time is running out" said Mike Abramsky, a former RBC analyst who left the bank several months ago and urged a split last year. Another option the bankers might consider would be for RIM to create a separate company to house its patents. RIM could then arrange a licensing deal with this new company before selling it. Canaccord Genuity analysts value RIM's patent portfolio at $2.5 billion. Licensing of its operating system is seen as unlikely, at least until BlackBerry 10 proves itself in the marketplace, and that is far from a given.

Initial previews of the software show a fluid, touch-based interface, and developers like how it easy it is to build applications for new devices with the HTML5 web coding language. But the likely October launch of an initial device will pit new BlackBerrys head-to-head with a likely iPhone 5. RIM's PlayBook tablet computer, the first device to use its new operating system, bombed with consumers. Meanwhile RIM's inventory, the components and finished devices it still holds, ballooned above $1 billion in mid-2011 and only dipped below that mark in December as RIM wrote down the value of the goods by almost $500 million. Inventory bounced up again in the last quarter despite further write-offs, and RIM is widely expected to book more costs as it cuts prices on its older stock to get it out the door.

REUTERS

Non profits might soon use domain extensions .ngo and .ong

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:56:00 +0000

Currently, non-profit organizations use .org as their domain extensions when setting up their Internet presence. The group that manages .org domains is a non-profit, called the Public Interest Registry (PIR). To give non-profit organizations more options for domain names as well as options for being more specific with their domain names, the PIR has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for two more domain extensions: .ngo and .ong. According to Mashable, the application is a part of ICANN's efforts to increase the number of domain extensions, Internet-wide, by 2013. The .org domain extension is currently the third most used domain extension in the world, following .com and .net in first and second place, respectively.

Domain extensions might soon include .ngo and .ong

The PIR wants to give non-goovernment organizations more options for their domain names and since, of course, there are differences between NGOs and non-profits, the domain extensions, .ngo and .ong should help them be more specific with their web addresses. .ong is essentially the same thing as .ngo, used in Spanish, Italian, French and other romance languages. Since NGO itself is a very well known three letter acronym, it only makes sense for it to be applied to web addresses.

.org is an open domain extension, which means that anybody can use it even if they are not a non-profit or an NGO. The PIR is specifying that the .ngo domain extension be a closed extension, which means that only non-profits and NGOs will be able to use it. Of course, there will be a verification process in place for users to register their domains with .ngo. Furthermore, the .ngo domain extension will not be mandatory for non-profits and NGOs to use, particularly the ones that currently use .org. The PIR will facilitate a smooth transition over from .org to .ngo for NGOs and non-profits, but if the organizations do not want to switch over, they don't have to.

The PIR is offering NGOs certain incentives to register with .ngo and .ong for their addresses. For one, the PIR plans to keep an open directory of organizations using the .ngo and .ong domain extensions, so they have more visibility and searchability. Furthermore, the PIR is planning an NGO community program where it will reinvest into the NGO community all the revenue that is gathered from .ngo and .ong domain extensions. The PIR will not know for certain when their application will be accepted or rejected, but they said that the latest they'll know will be January 2013. In the meanwhile, ICANN is releasing a list of 2100 domain extension applications submitted by the May 30th deadline. Some of these include .sport and .music.

ICS updates for Xperia Arc and Neo out now

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:56:00 +0000

Sony (Ericsson) Xperia Arc and Xperia Neo are now getting updated to Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich and the update has started appearing for these handsets in batches. The phones are getting updated to Android 4.0.4, but will remain on the 2.6.32 kernel.

Sony has put up a post on their official site stating that, 'The Ice Cream Sandwich software update for 2011 Xperia Smartphone’s is now being rolled out. The update is released in batches, and below you will find links your phones list of all the currently released ICS software’s. Since there are minor differences in the software depending on product, country and operator we have a unique identifier that we call Sales Item (SI). The SI is identified by an 8-digit number in the format XXXX-XXXX.’ For those wanting to know the SI number on their phone, can find it by taking off the back cover and removing the battery and the number is located underneath.

Finally, ICS!

The phone model with their SI numbers can be found below:

Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-7111
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-7138
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9195
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9496
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9497
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9533
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9534
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9779
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9780
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9781
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1246-9782
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1247-0077
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1247-0079
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1247-0085
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1247-0193
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1249-1680
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1249-4998
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1252-5809
Xperia Arc (LT15) 1252-5837
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9897
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9898
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9899
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9900
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9901
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9902
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9903
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9904
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9909
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9910
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9911
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9949
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1246-9950
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1247-1216
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1247-1217
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1251-2051
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1251-2052
Xperia Neo (MT15) 1251-2053

Xperia Blog has reported that, ‘The Android 4.0.4 firmware is also hitting the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. These handsets were previously running Android 4.0.3.’ For these devices, if your SI number is listed, then the software for your device is out already and it is available in the PC Companion and Bridge for Mac. So all you need to do is connect and update your phone. More items are soon going to be added to this list.

Updates for other 2011 handsets will be coming out shortly.

How to - Install ICS on your Samsung Galaxy S II

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:13:00 +0000

hose owning the Samsung Galaxy S II (SGS II) have been eagerly waiting for the official release of the latest Ice Cream Sandwich update. The new OS update brings a lot of eye-candy and additional features, which can speed up the phone and make it compatible with newer app versions. Downloading the ICS update for your phone is easy and takes a few simple steps. There are two methods of implementing the ICS update for the SGS II. Here’s how.

Method 1

This method is applicable to those who have the official Android Gingerbread OS that came preinstalled with the phone. It doesn't matter if the phone was rooted or not, as long as the firmware (OS) is official. All you need to do is install the Samsung Kies utility on your PC, plug in the SGS II using the USB port and update it to the new firmware. OTA updates are also available, but if you have a slow connection, you could end up with retries and delays. The best way is to do it via the PC as it's safer and quicker.

Download Kies and install it on your PC. If you don’t have Kies, you can download it from the Samsung website or click on this link. Once done, connect your SGS II to the PC’s USB port. Make sure you had your phone’s battery charged to at least 80 percent before attempting any updates. This will ensure your phone does not lose power while updating, and you don’t end up with a bricked device.

Backup data with Kies

Once you connect your phone to the PC, the phone’s notification bar will highlight 'MTP connection enabled'. This ensures that the drivers are successfully installed and the phone is recognized by the Kies software. Next, the Kies software will check your phone’s current firmware (OS) and highlight it on the screen that a new firmware (ICS) is available for your phone and to start the updating procedure. Before you choose to move ahead, you should ensure a backup of all your data from the phone. Press the cancel button and then click on the ‘Back-up/Restore tab in the Kies window. This will allow you to take your necessary data backups before proceeding. Choose the ones you need to back up by checking the required fields (contacts, messages, memos, call logs, etc.) and hit the back up button. Once done, you are ready to install ICS on your phone.

Firmware update notice

Head back to the ‘Basic Information’ tab in the Kies window and click on the ‘Firmware Upgrade’ button. Follow the onscreen requirements and start the upgrade. The initial stage of the upgrading procedure involves downloading the necessary updates, which are more than around 350 MB in size. This will take time, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

Wait while the software download the necessary data. Once done, you will notice your SGS II automatically rebooting and entering the download mode. All of this is done automatically by the Kies software, and you don’t need to do anything at this stage.

SGS II Download mode

Note: If the SGS II was not completely installed with all the Android Gingerbread updates, then Kies will start updating them first before installing ICS to it. This is normal as the procedure involves a series of updates prior to getting the handset ready for the final ICS update. Kies will get everything done for you.

After a while, you will notice that your phone will start automatically running a few scripts. The upgrade has been transferred to the phone and is finally being applied on the phone. This will take a while, and your phone will restart with the new operating system - Android ICS version 4.x.x. Now you can safely disconnect the phone and check out the new features of ICS on your phone. Your data will be completely wiped off, and you will need to restore everything by connecting it back to the PC and running the Kies software. Head on to the Back-up/Restore section to restore your data.

Method 2

The second method involves using a third-party utility, called Odin. This utility is developed by open-source developers and helps flash the firmware directly to the Samsung Phone without the need of the official Kies software. However, you will initially need to install the Kies software for the necessary drivers to be installed. The Odin utility is strictly not for the faint hearted. Therefore, if you are using this method, do it with a lot of caution, and if you are doing it for the first time, read up on related articles on the XDA forums before proceeding. The method of using Odin for flashing the ICS firmware is for those who have migrated away from Samsung’s official firmware and are making use of third-party ROMs for their SGS IIs.

Firm updating using the Odin tool

Before you proceed, you will need the following:

The Odin utility which can be downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/odin-for-SG
The ICS firmware for SGS II which can be downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/ICS-SGS-II . Alternatively, you can hunt for different versions from the XDA forum.

Take all necessary backups of your phone’s data using respective apps and utilities. Next, download the utility and the firmware (links mentioned above) and save them on your desktop. Once you have the two files, create a folder and decompress the downloaded files within that folder. You will be left with a few files, out of which the most important one is Odin (.exe) and the firmware (.tar.md5) files. Next, you need to switch your phone into the download mode. To do this, you need to switch off your phone and then press the following buttons—‘Volume_Down + Home + Power’ and your phone will display the download mode. Now connect the phone to your PC and let Windows install the necessary serial drivers for your phone. Once done, start the Odin utility. If your phone has successfully been detected by Odin, you will see the box with the header ‘ID:COM’ turned yellow and highlighting the phone connected via a COM port. This states that the SGS II is now ready to be flashed with a new firmware. Next, go ahead and check the box next to the ‘PDA’ and then hit the ‘PDA’ button and choose the ‘.tar.md5’ file you decompressed from the downloaded firmware file. Note: Do not check any other boxes and leave all settings as they are.

Once done, hit the ‘Start button’ and your SGS II will be flashed with the new firmware. After a successfully firmware flash, the phone will automatically restart. You are now ready to use your SGS II with the ICS firmware.

Galaxy S III to be announced in India today with a tentative price of Rs.42,500

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:12:00 +0000

That Samsung announced their latest flagship smartphone is old news, however what has been piquing interest of the enthusiasts is when they will get their hands on it. Samsung have scheduled the unveiling of the handset at an event in Delhi today where the Galaxy S III will take centre stage and finally land on Indian shores. If a report by IBN-Live is to be believed, then the handset will be available for purchase as well across the country. Sources have informed the news daily that the price of the handset will be available for Rs. 42,500 in India, thus putting it in direct competition with its smartphone rival, the iPhone 4S.

Today is the day!

The handset has been launched a couple of days ago in Europe and it has received rave reviews with one author going as far as to say that it is light years ahead of Apple’s iPhone. Reviewers have also claimed that this handset is better than the HTC One X, which was one of the first quad-core handsets to be released in the world.

The Samsung Galaxy S III has been already been put up for preorder in India and all one needed to do is put in a booking fee of Rs. 2,000. Alternatively, one can also book the handset on online retailing website Infibeam for Rs. 1,000.

One of the main features of the S III is the Siri-esque voice recognition system called S Voice. It features Smart Stay, a technique that uses the front facing camera to track your eye movement so it keeps the screen on as long as you're looking at it. Pretty cool. Social Tag uses face recognition that scans the faces in your gallery and maps them to your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. S Beam lets you bond and share data instantly between two S III devices using a combination of NFC and Wi-Fi Direct. AllShare Play uses DLNA to share your photos and videos on compatible TVs.

For those who are interested in picking up this smartphone, here is a quick look at its highlighted features.

4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with, DLNA support
GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS,
USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0
8MP camera with AF, LED flash, BSI sensor and 1080p HD video recording
1.9MP front facing camera with a resolution of 720p for video chat
16/32/64GB Internal memory, expandable up to 64GB
HDMI out

Let us know if any of you are picking up the handset and if it was worth the wait once you get it. For our entire coverage on the Samsung Galaxy S III, click here.

Lenovo LePhone K800 launches, officially brings Medfield to China

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:42:00 +0000

At CES 2012, Lenovo was the first to announce a Medfield-powered smartphone: the K800. And while it was the first to be unveiled, it couldn't beat the Lava Xolo X900 to market. Lenovo's not too worried about that, however, as the K800 has arrived in China right on schedule, having originally aimed for a Q2 launch and later refining the timeframe to the end of May. The fruits of Intel's labor can be had for the grand 'ol retail price of RMB 3,299 ($524), which gets you a 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, Android 2.3, a 4.5-inch 720p display, an 8MP rear camera and 16GB of internal storage. We haven't heard any news of the phone reaching across the Pacific, but we're sure that won't stop the most insistent of you from grabbing a unit through alternative methods, right?

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 makes a splash Stateside, offers a lightweight slice of Android 4.0 for $349

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:41:00 +0000

Lenovo has offered few hints (if unsubtle ones) that the IdeaTab S2109 was on the way, but it's now in the US in earnest. As we saw early on, some of the Android 4.0 tablet's specs read like those of an iPad 2, down to the 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 IPS panel, 1.3-pound weight and ever so slightly thicker 8.9mm unibody shell. Lenovo is catering more to the movie-watching set, though: a four-speaker system and 1080p video over micro-HDMI make us see it as a couch-surfer's Netflix machine. We're a bit less enthused with the aging dual-core, 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 inside, but we won't complain about the $349 asking price. If the balance is appealing, both Lenovo and Office Depot will be ready to serve it up in early June.

Google's Steve Lee talks about the history and future of Project Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Details on Google's Project Glass haven't been the easiest thing to come by since the wearable computing effort was announced earlier this year, but Google execs have been getting a bit more talkative and eager to give demonstrations as of late. You can now add product lead Steve Lee to that list, who's given a fairly wide-ranging interview to Fast Company on the project's origins and its future. Not surprisingly, he confirmed that the early prototypes were a fair bit bulkier -- starting a laptop in a backpack -- and that even the current prototypes are still "very early," although they do handle more than just photos (he gives Maps as one example). Lee does see photo-taking as a "key aspect" to the device, though.

He also cast some doubt on initial reports that the devices would be available this year for between $250 and $600, saying that would be "pretty aggressive timing," but he also noted that he "wouldn't be on this project if it was like a five-year endeavor." As for the future, he says that contact lenses with the technology is a natural evolution but a definite "long-term thing," and that a nearer term goal is to "serve everyone and make this is a universal device," adding that they've "prototyped lots of different form factors to accommodate all those folks." All of that comes just from the first part of a two-part interview, though -- the rest is promised later this week.

South Korea's FTC reportedly raids Google again over lack of cooperation

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:38:00 +0000

Google might be in trouble for how it handled an earlier raid by South Korean officials over antitrust concerns. Insiders claimed to AllThingsD that the country's Fair Trade Commissionstormed Google's Seoul offices again on May 28th after the company allegedly stonewalled the investigation in suspicious ways. Among the accusations, Google supposedly deleted files and asked staff to work from home rather than face inquiries. The FTC's goal was still to answer complaints from local search firms Daum and NHN that Google was unfairly making it difficult to use a non-Google search engine in Android. Google still says it's cooperating with regulators, but the assertions if they're accurate would paint a different picture. They certainly don't alleviate pressure in the US over similar subjects.

Intel teams up with DeviceScape for automatic public WiFi, will hook up your Ultrabook in the background

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:38:00 +0000

We all know the coffee shop WiFi routine: crack open the laptop, visit a splash page, and dutifully wait until you're logged in before you get to Twitter. Through a new deal between Intel and DeviceScape, you won't even have to think about it. Intel's Smart Connect tool will soon automatically sign in your Ultrabook to a curated list of quality, open WiFi hotspots, even if the PC is fast asleep. This last trick might need Windows 8's Connected Standby mode to live up to Intel's expectations, but the dream is to have your email and social feeds updated and waiting before that laptop or tablet screen has even blinked into life. Intel is leaving some gaps in the story, such as whether or not gadget owners will pay a premium for the fast access. We'd guess that Intel is counting on higher computer (and more importantly, processor) sales to make up the difference.

Report: Kevin Rose moving within Mountain View, now a partner at Google Ventures

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Have you been wondering what Digg co-founder, Kevin Rose, has been up to since joining the Mountain View team a couple months back? Well, AllThingsD is reporting that Mr. Rose has left his duties as senior product manager of Big G's social network in order to make a move to the company's investment firm, Google Ventures. According to the report, the switch has now been confirmed by an undisclosed Ventures spokesperson, although no further details were given at this time. The move itself isn't exactly a surprising one, given Rose's previous, and hefty history of venturing into startups within the industry. Feel free to chime in with yourthoughts in the comments section below.

Google starts selling accessories for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on Google Play, has you all docked up

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:36:00 +0000

If you liked the idea of buying an unlocked Galaxy Nexus straight from Google but were put off by the absence of the official accessories, have no fear. A swing by Google Play now gives US shoppers the chance to buy the regular Desktop Dock, the HDMI Portrait Dock or the Vehicle Dock, whether it's packed in with your Android 4.0 flagship or after the fact. All three require the HSPA+ edition -- sorry, no attempts to shoehorn the Verizon model here -- and cost between $49 to $54. The accessories reinforce the notion that Google is a little more in it to win it than the last time it sold hardware directly, although we have yet to see whether or not the store section will carry any hardware that isn't fully blessed by Google as part of the Nexus ecosystem.

Press pics of Gigabyte's X11 lightweight laptop reportedly pop up online

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Last week, Gigabyte teased us with the promise of a new bantam laptop, the X11, that would be the "lightest notebook on earth." Today, it appears the good folks at Pocket-lint have taken a bit of the wind out of the company's sails by posting a plethora of press pics of the new machine for all the world to see. Naturally, we can't say for sure that this is the forthcoming X11, but whatever it is, it's a slim little black beauty that looks to be right at home with the MacBook Airs and Ultrabooks of the world -- it's got a wedge-shaped silhouette and a modicum of external connectivity (one USB socket and one DisplayPort). Want to see more of it's ebony exterior in advance of tomorrow's official announcement? Head on down to the source link for the full spill.

Galaxy S III Pebble Blue shipping now (in Vietnam)

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

If you’re on the lookout for that one special color for your Samsung Galaxy S III, that Pebble Blue you’ve been waiting for, you’ll have to hit up your favorite Vietnamese smartphone shop as they’ve got it in stock this week. It’s limited numbers or none for the Samsung smartphone in Pebble Blue this week, with the UK having none across the country and each other launch point – such as New Zealand – having a minor delay in the works for that color as well. Vietnam has been confirmed as getting units though, so no worries!

This information comes from Sohoa where Dang Vu has posted several images of the new device as it appears in-store across the country today. This version of the device was delayed in several areas across its near-global launch this week due to unforseen flaws in the makeup of the case. The White version of the Galaxy S III appears to have had no delays in any location thus far.

Have a peek at our full review of the Galaxy S III as well as our long set of hands-on coverage of the device in our timeline below. Note that the Pebble Blue option was shown at several press events right alongside the White version and did appear to have no flaws whatsoever. Call up your good pals in Vietnam today and get that Pebble Blue as fast as you can!

Google Voice update offers more control over anonymous calls

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Google released an update today for its Google Voice online calling and voice message management service that will help you better control the calls you receive. It recently integrated Google+ with the service so that you could customize the answering rules for your different Groups and Circles. Now, they are extending that customization to calls you receive from people not already in your address book and anonymous calls.

In case you’re not familiar, the Google Voice service lets you sign up for a free phone number that you can use as your universal contact number that acts as an online PBX, centralizing all your voice messages and forwarding incoming calls to the mobile devices you assign.

With the update today, Google Voice is adding two new groups of callers. The first is for the people already in your address book and lets you customize the experience for those callers. It also lets you screen anyone that’s not yet in your address book. The second is for anonymous callers, or those who are without a caller ID.

Sony PlayStation 4 tipped for 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:34:00 +0000

With games such as Doom 3: BFG Edition still making waves in the industry of what some would call a fading wave for console gaming, Sony’s PlayStation 4′s release in 2013 is sure to be a hit. That’s what “sources close to the matter” speaking with the Wall Street Jounral are saying in hopes that the news this week that an ultra-slick disk-less cloud-based PlayStation was being released was bashed by early critics. This situation reflects essentially what happened when the PSP Go was released, failure that it was with downloadable content only, ditching physical game units altogether.

Image above from PlayStation 4 concept release post.

This next revelation is what we’re concentrating on now instead – the same sources that spoke up about the axing of a cloud-only PlayStation have stated that they will, indeed, be releasing the PlayStation 4 inside 2013. Analysts have spoken up over the past few weeks as well, citing early 2013 as the perfect time for a new console not only from Sony, but from Microsoft with an Xbox 720 as well.

Downloadable games have also been tested on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, an Android-based smartphone with PlayStation-like abilities and gaming controls. At the moment this device is the only Android released by the company in 2011 that will not be upgraded to the newest version of Google’s mobile OS, this sending what consumers are saying is a clear message on how dedicated the company is to supporting the device.

Stay tuned as more PlayStation 4 news pops up from all directions as we inch closer and closer to 2013 – just a few more months, right?

Flipboard Beta for Android hands-on

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:31:00 +0000

This week the developers behind the ultra-popular news and social media reading application Flipboardhave begun pushing past iOS and the Galaxy S III to include all Android smartphones. This version of Flipboard is available for download in a Beta form (which you will see in action here) and can be accessed by anyone with an Android device and a thirst for adventurous downloads and installs. Those of you wishing to try out the application before its final release can do so with the promise that they will report any and all bugs to the head bug swatter.

This version of the app is not the same as the Samsung Galaxy S III version you may have downloaded this past week. Though it may function rather similarly, it includes official updates and the promise that Flipboard is indeed aiming at making it work for any and all devices you might try it out on. Have a peek at the application in action here:

[RYKUv3idyzk]

Flipboard is at its most basic an RSS feed reader and at its best a fabulous looking exploration application for all of your text and photo news-reading needs – it’s really quite nice when it comes down to it. This application is being shown by Flipboard at their Flipboard for Android website where after signing up for access to the beta, you can download the build yourself. Please have the common decency not to link directly to the application if you want to share it with your friends – be creative!

Also be sure to check out Google Currents as well as Pulse and News360, awesome apps all for reading your news when you want it looking nice!

Meet the Nexus tablet (before Google announces it)

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:31:00 +0000

This week we’ve once again had an above-average amount of tips being pointed directly at the idea that the next Nexus device that will be released by Google will also be made by ASUS. This device will be a tablet, as confirmed by Google’s Eric Schmidt back in January with his “six month window” comment. This device will certainly be an example for Google’s next big operating system update, will more than likely have a 7-inch display, and it will cost users just $149, per an ASUS tip as well as NVIDIA’s ownKai Strategy which takes their quad-core Tegra 3 processor down below $200 USD.

What you see above is a tablet presented by NVIDIA at CES 2012 then never heard from again – can you imagine why? The version of Android you’re going to see on this device will probably not be 5.0 Jellybeanalready, but perhaps 4.2 or higher, still called Ice Cream Sandwich, and the whole shebang will be pumped out by Google I/O 2012 in just weeks.

NVIDIA’a Kai strategy has them powering down the innards of tablets to a point where they can continue to roll out quad-core for high-powered gaming but can afford to offer tablets below $200. According to abenchmark leaked this morning there’s a device out there being tested under the name Nexus 7. This device is being shown as running Android 4.1, has the same resolution as the tablet NVIDIA presented at CES 2012, and has the same processor inside that we’ve seen in the ASUS Transformer line since the Transformer Prime.

Will we see a 7-inch 768 x 1280 pixel NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor toting Google ASUS Nexus 7 at Google I/O this year? All signs point to yes!

Galaxy S III LTE comes to Canada with Snapdragon inside

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:30:00 +0000

It’s a whole new ballgame up above the USA as Canadian carriers across the board announce their release of the Samsung Galaxy S III complete with a Qualcomm processor, LTE speed, and 2GB of RAM. This variation of the GALAXY S III will have options for either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage while two variations on those models will exist with either 4G LTE or HSPA+ 42 data connections. This device will still essentially be the same international Samsung Galaxy S III we reviewed this past week by all outward and surface appearances, but the guts make this a whole different beast!

This Samsung Galaxy S III set of devices will all look, feel, and act the same way save for their data speed and their internal memory. The SGH-i747 variation of the device will be carried by Bell Mobility, Virgin Mobile, SaskTel, TELUS and Rogers Wireless while the SGH-iT999 model will be available from Videotron, Wind and Mobilicity. the 747 version will have 4G LTE capabilities while the T999 version will have HSPA+. After that, it’s all greatness inside:

• Snapdragon S4 Dual Core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 Chipset
• OS (Shipping): ICS 4.0.4
• Data: LTE (SGH-i747 variation) and HSPA+ 42 (SGH-iT999 variation)
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Dimensions: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm
• Weight: 133g
• Memory: 16/32GB internal memory (SGH-i747)/ 16GB internal memory (SGH-iT999)
• Expandable microSD up to 32GB
• Display: 4.8 HD Super AMOLED 1280×720 (306ppi)
• Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, MHL Video Out
• Camera: 8MP Rear-facing, 1.9MP Front-facing
• Battery: 2100 mAh
Other:
• TouchWiz with Motion UX
• S Beam
• AllShare Play enhance functionality
• MP3/ACC+/WAV audio player
• DivX/Xvid/MP4/WMV/H.263/ H.264 Video Player

The Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 is a dual-core processor that we’ve seen now several times before, notably in HTC’s HTC One X, HTC One X, and HTC Evo 4G LTE. The international version of the Samsung Galaxy S III has a quad-core Exynos processor made by Samsung themselves. The version you see above will likely be extremely similar to what we’ll see released here in the USA, complete with 4G LTE and/or HSPA+ capabilities.

Nintendo Wii U three launch games teased on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:26:00 +0000

As the time before E3 continues to dwindle down, Nintendo is getting the hype gears churning. For the company, next month’s trade show will be all about proving the Wii U’s power to compete against big boys Sony and Microsoft. Last year, it was tech demos, this year, it will be games. Oh, and Nintendo better also harp on the fact that the Wii U is coming out this year, if it hopes to take any immediate excitement from its competitors.

A post on the official Wii U Facebook page was just published, stating, “Guess what the initial game releases will be for Nintendo’s new home console, Wii U? Soon we’ll scratch off to reveal the names!” The message is followed by three long gray boxes. So, in other words, Nintendo is most likely going to announce no fewer than three launch titles for the Wii U at E3. If it wants the Wii U launch to be a success, they better be solid franchise titles.

If Nintendo learned anything from the 3DS launch (aside from the fact that holding the official event in winter in freezing New York City), hopefully it learned that for a platform release to be successful, it needs to surround it with games that people really want. So we’re expecting to see a Mario game, a Zelda game, a Pokemon game – at least one of those would be a nice change from the 3DS. Nintendo’s major E3 announcements will happen next Tuesday starting at 12 PM Eastern Time.

Logitech outs Apple-friendly Wireless Solar Keyboard K760, we go hands-on

noreply@blogger.com (Avik Debnath) — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Earlier this May, Logitech unveiled its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, and the accessory maker is rounding out the month by adding another sun-powered peripheral to its stable. Like the Keyboard Folio, the just-announced Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 works with iPads, but it's also compatible with Macs and iPhones. The K760 has Bluetooth for pairing up to three devices at a time, and it features Mac-specific keys such as Brightness, Command and Eject. Users should get about three months of use after the keyboard is fully charged up via sun or indoor light. We got to do a bit of typing with the K760, and are happy to report that it's a fairly well-built little grid. The deck feels solid, and the keys have a decent depth to them when pressed. Plus, the spun metal power button and the silver flake paint job lend a premium appearance. It'll cost $80 when it goes on sale next month, and you can get a closer look at what those dollars will buy in our gallery below. Head past the break for the full PR.

Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760

GENEX

Anodizing aluminum and titanium explained and demonstrated in less than five minutes (video)

Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review

Look and feel

If you think the ThinkPad design is dated, stale or uninteresting, you're reading the wrong laptop review.

Keyboard and trackpad

We can't promise that ThinkPad fans set in their ways will take kindly to this new keyboard.

Display and sound

The IPS panel bodes well for "Up in the Air" types who plan on working through long flights, and need to stay productive even when the guy in front of them leans back in his seat.

Performance

PCMark Vantage

3DMark06

Battery life

Laptop

Battery Life

Software

Configuration options

The competition

If you're a ThinkPad loyalist set in your ways, we suggest getting hands-on in person first, if possible.

Wrap-up

More Info

Google refines 'Local' search with Zagat

Disney Channel to launch 'TV everywhere' service

RIM continues to run out of options

Non profits might soon use domain extensions .ngo and .ong

ICS updates for Xperia Arc and Neo out now

How to - Install ICS on your Samsung Galaxy S II

Galaxy S III to be announced in India today with a tentative price of Rs.42,500

Lenovo LePhone K800 launches, officially brings Medfield to China

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 makes a splash Stateside, offers a lightweight slice of Android 4.0 for $349

Google's Steve Lee talks about the history and future of Project Glass

South Korea's FTC reportedly raids Google again over lack of cooperation

Intel teams up with DeviceScape for automatic public WiFi, will hook up your Ultrabook in the background

Report: Kevin Rose moving within Mountain View, now a partner at Google Ventures

Google starts selling accessories for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on Google Play, has you all docked up

Press pics of Gigabyte's X11 lightweight laptop reportedly pop up online

Galaxy S III Pebble Blue shipping now (in Vietnam)

Google Voice update offers more control over anonymous calls

Sony PlayStation 4 tipped for 2013

Flipboard Beta for Android hands-on

Meet the Nexus tablet (before Google announces it)

Galaxy S III LTE comes to Canada with Snapdragon inside

Nintendo Wii U three launch games teased on Facebook

Logitech outs Apple-friendly Wireless Solar Keyboard K760, we go hands-on